Saturday, April 10, 2010

A Town Called Hamilton 1814-1840

I want to find out some basic history of different areas of where my family lived so it will help me to find our more things about them. I'll start for now with the Hamilton, Ontario area because I live here, and it should be easier to find things out.
I am going to start with a book I have been reading.

Hamilton - A Peoples History - Bill Freeman.

I will go through each chapter, and just pull out some interesting facts to me, and what might be relavent to my family. If you want to get all the details I encourage you too see if you can find it at your library, or you can purchase it.

1816 - March 22 - Hamilton became a community - named after George Hamilton (Modern day streets are named after his relatives - John, James, Hunter, Catharine)

Courthouse and Jail brought people from all over (From the District of Gore - which includedWentworth, Halton, Brant, Haldimand counties and Puslinch Township) - This is how Hamilton initially began to grown

Education was very important to the settlers. 1817 - there were 5 schools in Barton Township for 800 students

1832-1835 - Dundurn Castle built by Sir Alland MacNab and Robert Charles Wetherall

1832 - Cholera epidemic. There was panic in the community, especially because of the immigrants coming on ships into the ports. Even prisioners were released to avoid the epidemic. There were lots of dead.

1830's - political conflict between Dundas and Hamilton, along with all of Upper Canada.

Population then started to increase due to British immigration, and by 1835 the population of just Hamilton was 2,600.